[Vodafone to offer faster improved version of its Vizzavi Web Portal in efforts to minimize customer churn in response to KPN's European i-mode service launch.]

"Vodafone will give its mobile Web portal a flashy upgrade to counter the anticipated threat from the European launch of i-mode, Japan's runaway success mobile Internet service, sources said on Tuesday.

"Vodafone will soon unveil plans for a faster, more visual version of its Vizzavi Web portal and is lining up new content partners, some of which also plan to provide news and entertainment for i-mode, which KPN Telecom and NTT DoCoMo are rolling out in Germany and the Netherlands.

"Vodafone wants to stop its customers jumping ship from WAP to the much more attractive i-mode which is exclusively offered by KPN Mobile," one source close to the company said.

"Vodafone could launch the new Vizzavi service built on a technology that resembles i-mode's, which netted NTT DoCoMo 30 million subscribers in Japan. Unlike today's text-based mobile Internet in Europe, which is built with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), the upgraded service will more closely resemble popular Web sites, sources said.

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